Posts Tagged: Responsive web design

This spring, Google will start to favor mobile-friendly websites directly in the search results. Meaning having a responsive web design is not only a necessity for your on-page experience (i.e: conversion rates) but the organic search traffic on mobile devices. So – make sure to read and implement Google’s Mobile Optimization Guidelines (if you’re not sure – they have an excellent testing tool).

On April 21, this new ranking algorithm will start affecting the order of search results directly. And in Google’s words, the change will have a “significant impact” on search results for mobile searchers. How this will affect your e-commerce business depends on what this “significant impact may be, and what your mobile search performance is today. For some, resolving these issues could be a really simple while others may need to do a total re-design.

Now is the same if any to re-evaluate your brand’s online presence, to implement a cross-channel and device strategy.

We all already know why you have to “go mobile” if you have a company website, especially if you’re selling goods online. Or else your customers will be browsing and buying elsewhere. It’s 2015 and it’s a fact. But going mobile (or better – responsive) is not a very easy process. It takes time, a lot of expertise and patience. Last year I launched a fully responsive website with Mini Rodini – a fun but sometimes very frustrating project. Here’s a few things I learned:

1. Just do it. Make the time, money and effort – the time is now etc.

2. Know what your designing for and do your research. There are reasons for why responsive designs look a certain way, don’t think too much out of the box. Less is more and you’ll see why when you go live.

3. As with all digital projects – know your metrics and follow them closely. The joy of the digital era is that we can measure everything. Use Google Analytics reports, shortcuts, event tracking and goals and make sure what you can expect. If you don’t know how to, don’t do it at all.

4. Test everything. Everything.

5. Do not plan a vacation two weeks after the very last deadline. No matter how good of a project leader you think you are, you will never be fully ready to launch. And you might end up working from a bar and then a taxi at four in the morning.

6. You will never be ready. You ave to evaluate and re-evaluate. If/when you are, it’s time to change it again.